The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) proudly announces the 2023 DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Award winners, presented at the organization’s convention held April 19-21 in Chicago. The awards are given annually to active RCC members who demonstrate excellence in religious communications and public relations.

The awards are named to honor the late Victor DeRose and the late Paul M. Hinkhouse, leading lithographers in New York City, and longtime friends of the RCC. Both men shared a strong interest in, and concern for, excellence in communications.

2023 DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Award Winners:

Periodicals:

Best in Class – Singing the Faith: Beeson Magazine; Kristen Padilla, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University

Newspapers – Single Work:

• Category Winner: The Baptist Paper; Jennifer Davis Rash, The Baptist Paper
• Award of Merit: The Alabama Baptist; Jennifer Rash, TAB Media Group

 

Magazines – Series:

• Category Winner: Brilliant Star 2022 (Volume 51, No. 6 – Volume 52, No. 2); Amethel Parel-Sewell, C. Aaron Kreader, Amy Renshaw, Heidi Parsons, and Lisa Blecker; Brilliant Star Magazine / Baha’i National Office
• Award of Merit: fellowship! Magazine; Aaron Weaver, Carrie Harris, Jeff Langford; Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Magazines – Single Work:

• Category Winner: Singing the Faith: Beeson Magazine; Kristen Padilla; Beeson Divinity School of Samford University
• Award of Merit: Brilliant Star, “One Garden,” Volume 52, Number 1; Amethel Parel-Sewell, C. Aaron Kreader, Amy Renshaw, Heidi Parsons, and Lisa Blecker; Brilliant Star Magazine / Baha’i National Office

 

Newsletters – Series:

• Category Winner: GA News Digest; Office of the General Assembly Communications; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of the General Assembly

 

Newsletters – Single Work:

• Category Winner: Century-old Art Works Finds a Home on Capitol Hill; Kristen Archer; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit: Forward Plan Resulted in a More Effective FCNL; Adlai Amor, Wesley Pinkham; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Blogs – Series:

• Category Winner: Women of the ELCA blog entries in 2022: “Quilts and shawls for peace” March 3, 2022; “Love is transformational” June 13, 2022; Linda Post Bushkofsky and Elizabeth McBride; Women of the ELCA

• Blogs – Single Work
  • Category Winner: The Importance of Interreligious Exposure: Blessing Someone’s Religious Practice from a Place of Knowledge and Empathy; Liz Ryan; Hartford International University

 

Articles and Stories – Series:

• Category Winner: Nine Year Plan Launch Conference Coverage; James Humphrey, Richard Doering, Kayla Taylor, Joyce Litoff; Baha’i National Center
• Award of Merit: org: August 2022, October 2022, and November 2022; Elizabeth McBride;
  Women of the ELCA

 

Articles and Stories – Single Work:

• Category Winner: ‘Support and empower’: Seminar in DC brings Black Baha’i youth together in joy;
  Nadia Mehretab, Kayla Taylor, Richard Doering; Baha’i National Center
• Award of Merit: Love and baseball; Curtis Ramsey-Lucas; American Baptist Home Mission Societies

 

Books:

Best in Class – Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation; Liz Bucar; Northeastern University

 Non-fiction: Adult – Single Work

• Category Winner: Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation; Liz Bucar; Northeastern -University

 

Websites:

Best in Class – Addressing the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools; Jessie Palatucci, Alex Frandsen; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

·Organizational – Single Work:

• Category Winner: Brilliant Star Online; Amethel Parel-Sewell, C. Aaron Kreader, Amy Renshaw, Heidi Parsons, and Lisa Blecker; Brilliant Star Magazine / Baha’i National Office

 

Topical – Single Work:

• Category Winner: Addressing the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools; Jessie Palatucci, Alex Frandsen;
  Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit: Elections 2022: How to Engage; Jessie Palatucci, Alex Frandsen; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Specialty Publications:

Best in Class – Faithfully Persisting; Adlai Amor, Wesley Pinkham; Friends Committee on National Legislation

Annual Reports – Single Work:

• Category Winner: Faithfully Persisting; Adlai Amor, Wesley Pinkham; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit; 2022 Look Book: Igniting a Movement with Energy, Intelligence, Imagination and Love;
  Emily Enders Odom; Presbyterian Mission Agency [of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

 

Posters – Single Work

• Category Winner: Cosas de cura; La Machi Comunicación para Buenas Causas; La Machi, Comunicación para Buenas Causas

 

Flyers – Single Work

• Category Winner: Advocacy Teams; Wesley Pinkham; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Booklets – Single Work

• Category Winner: Prayers of the People (2022-2023); Meg Lacy Vega, Jeff Langford, Aaron Weaver;
  Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

 

Other – Single Work

• Category Winner: Heritage Room Timeline; Kathy Williams; Ursuline Sisters of Louisville

 

News and Magazine Broadcasts:

Best in Class –

Air Land & Sea: The Jewish History of Magnificent Malta & The Jewish History of Izmir, Turkey;
Brad Pomerance, Danny O’Brien, Jon McCandless, Kevin Wegener, Jonny Bernstein & Michael Hoffman; Jewish Life Television/JLT

TV – Series

• Category Winner
  Air Land & Sea: The Jewish History of Magnificent Malta & The Jewish History of Izmir, Turkey;
  Brad Pomerance, Danny O’Brien, Jon McCandless, Kevin Wegener, Jonny Bernstein & Michael Hoffman; Jewish Life Television/JLTV

Shorts and Feature Presentations:

Best in Class – 

A Maine Discourse on Systemic Oneness; Alan Hatchett; US Baha’i National Center

Audio: Commercial or PSA – Single Work

• Category Winner; Quaker Lobby to End Violence Against Women; Adlai Amor; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Video: Promotional/Informational – Series

• Category Winner: Frequently Asked Questions; BJC – Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty; BJC

 

Video: Promotional/Informational – Single Work

• Category Winner: Video App Carmelitarum; La Machi Comunicación para Buenas Causas; La Machi, Comunicación para Buenas Causas
• Award of Merit: Spirit of the Stacks; Steven Havira; Hartford International University

 

Video: Entertainment/Inspirational – Series

• Category Winner: A Word from the Stated Clerk; Randy Hobson, Rick Jones, Office of the General Assembly; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of the General Assembly

 

Video: Documentary/Educational – Series

o   Category Winner: A Maine Discourse on Systemic Oneness; Alan Hatchett; US Baha’i National Center

 

Video: Documentary/Educational – Single Work

• Category Winner: Parents respond to new spiritual program in Federalsburg; Alan Hatchett; US Baha’i National Center
• Award of Merit: General Assembly Agencies: A Quick Introduction; Randy Hobson, Office of the General Assembly; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of the General Assembly
• Award of Merit: Hodges Chapel: A Special Beeson Podcast; Kristen Padilla, Doug Sweeney, Rob Willis, Joshua Hedrick; Beeson Divinity School of Samford University

 

Specialty Programming:

Best in Class / Best in Show

The Forgotten Exodus; Team MarComm; American Jewish Committee

Podcasts – Series

• Category Winner: The Forgotten Exodus; Team MarComm; American Jewish Committee
• Award of Excellence: Future of The United Methodist Church; Todd Seifert; Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church
• Award of Merit: Respecting Religion: Season 4; Cherilyn Crowe Guy; BJC
• Award of Merit: Dangerous Dogma; Brian Kaylor; Word&Way

 

Podcasts – Single Work

• Category Winner: Not solving a problem, but creating one: Dissecting the Kennedy v. Bremerton decision; Cherilyn Crowe Guy; BJC
• Award of Excellence: Composer reflects on creating a concert for the Twin Holy Birthdays; Joyce Litoff;
  US Baha’i National Center
• Award of Merit: Beeson Magazine: Conversation with DeVonta Anderson; Kristen Padilla; Beeson Divinity School of Samford University
• Award of Merit: CBF Conversations Podcast | Episode: Anthea Butler: Roe v. Wade, Toxic Patriarchy & White Evangelicals; Andy Hale, Aaron Weaver; Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

 

Writing for Periodicals:

Best in Class

Reporting on Ukrainian Refugee Crisis; Christopher Herlinger; Global Sisters Report / National Catholic Reporter

Newspaper: Article or Story – Series

• Category Winner: Reporting on Ukrainian Refugee Crisis; Christopher Herlinger; Global Sisters Report / National Catholic Reporter

 

Newspaper: Article or Story – Single Work

• Category Winner: A Reckoning Over Native Boarding Schools is Long Overdue; Tim McHugh, Alex Frandsen; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Excellence: Retired Mobile pastor falsely tied to SBC abuser list by local news outlet; Jennifer Rash; The Alabama Baptist
• Award of Excellence: Will Congress Support God’s Children?; Tim McHugh, Alex Frandsen; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit: The US Remains the Exception on Land Mines; Tim McHugh; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit: State convention, other defendants seek dismissal in lawsuit related to Judson College bonds; Jennifer Rash; The Alabama Baptist

 

Magazine: Article or Story – Single Work

• Category Winner: The Iraq War Authorization Turns 20; Tim McHugh; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit: In person once again: Choral concerts at Temple become balm for ‘hurting’ Chicago suburbs; James Humphrey; Baha’i National Center
• Award of Merit: Rooted and Reaching, Part Two: The Teaching Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville from 1938–1965, Branching Out; Kathy Williams; Ursuline Sisters of Louisville

 

Magazine: Cover or Feature Item – Single Work

• Category Winner: The ReAwaken America Worship Service in Branson; Brian Kaylor; Word&Way

 

Specialized Writing:

Best in Class

Unsettling Advent: Brian Kaylor; Word&Way

 

Editorial – Series

• Category Winner: Unsettling Advent; Brian Kaylor; Word&Way

 

Editorial – Single Work

• Category Winner: Sing On; Kristen Padilla; Beeson Divinity School of Samford University

 

Technical – Single Work

• Category Winner: FY 2018-2022 Forward Plan: Years of Resilient Growth; Adlai Amor; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Artwork:

Best in Class

Brilliant Star, “Better Together,” Volume 51, Number 6; C. Aaron Kreader and Lisa Blecker; Brilliant Star Magazine / Baha’i National Office

 

Photography: Cover or Feature – Series

• Category Winner: Scenes from a MAGA Revival; Brian Kaylor; Word&Way

 

Videography: Article or Story – Single Work

• Category Winner: TikTok Minister; Randy Hobson, Office of the General Assembly; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of the General Assembly

·

Illustration: Article or Story – Series

• Category Winner: Novena Blessed Pauline Jaricot; La Machi Comunicación para Buenas Causas;
  La Machi, Comunicación para Buenas Causas

Illustration: Cover or Feature – Single Work

• Category Winner: Brilliant Star, “Better Together,” Volume 51, Number 6; Aaron Kreader and Lisa Blecker; Brilliant Star Magazine / Baha’i National Office

 

Design:

Best in Class

The First Trailblazing Women of HIU; Steven Havira; Hartford International University

Publication Design: Article or Story – Single Work

• Category Winner: The Story of the Ursuline Chapel of the Immaculate Conception; Kathy Williams;
  Ursuline Sisters of Louisville

Publication Design: Cover or Feature – Single Work

• Category Winner: The First Trailblazing Women of HIU; Steven Havira; Hartford International University
• Award of Merit: The American Baha’i front cover, Vol. 53 No. 6, November/December 2022; Richard Doering; Baha’i National Center
• Award of Merit: Faithfully Persisting; Adlai Amor, Wesley Pinkham; Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Logos and Branding – Series

• Category Winner: Sabbath Moments; Kathy Williams; Ursuline Sisters of Louisville

 

Logos and Branding – Single Work

• Category Winner: Native Lands Acknowledgement; Adlai Amor, Wesley Pinkham; Friends Committee on National Legislation
• Award of Merit: 2122: A $1 million campaign for Katie’s Fund; Elizabeth McBride; Women of the ELCA

 

Campaigns:

Best in Class

Offering for Global Missions Campaign (2022); Aaron Weaver, Carrie Harris, Jeff Langford, Jeff Huett; Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

 

Public Affairs

• Category Winner: Will Congress Move on Voting Rights Before Elections 2022?; Tim McHugh;
  Friends Committee on National Legislation

 

Fundraising

• Category Winner: Offering for Global Missions Campaign (2022); Aaron Weaver, Carrie Harris, Jeff Langford, Jeff Huett; Cooperative Baptist Fellowship